Review: One Bullet by Casey Wolfe

When Ethan Brant was shot, he found himself dealing with severe PTSD and unable to do his job as a police officer any longer. With the aid of Detective Shawn Greyson, the man who saved his life, Ethan not only finds himself again but discovers love as well.

Shawn’s life growing up was less than ideal, however, he overcame that to become who he is today. That doesn’t mean he isn’t missing something in his life. What Shawn hadn’t realized, upon first meeting, was that Ethan could give him all that and more.

One bullet changed both their lives.






This was sweet and had a whole lot of potential but things got confusing and ends were left hanging in too many ways for the story to feel complete.

I love the idea of Shawn being the one to save Ethan’s life after he was shot. That Shawn had an instant connection to Ethan and felt the pull to protect him to the point of being there during Ethan’s dismissal from the police force with diagnosed PTSD and after. I liked that the men had chemistry and that we got both POV’s, but the story was kinda off.

There was so much in the story that just, well stopped being there. In the first chapter and only another time after we get Ethan with is free running, aka parkour, ability and then it’s forgotten. Ethan left the police force and is now a security consultant and that’s all we really know. We don’t get any more about his job but it seems super flexible since he’s never really at work. I like that the romance was based more on the couple, than anything else, but it was just weird to have things introduced and then disappear.

The romance was a slow burn and I did enjoy watching the two realize that they moved passed friendship and were basically a couple long before they had their first date or kiss. They were truly adorable together that the head hopping and time jumps weren’t bothersome until about halfway through the story.

Once again, we get new things thrown in like Ethan’s BFF Sebastian and his heritage, we get small bits of Shawn and what his family forced him into when he came out as bisexual and… I dunno. Just odd that we kept getting issues brought up that were briefly on the page and then gone again. Or things like the gift from Ethan’s parents that seemed like a big deal but totally out of the blue. I guess I wanted more since it seemed these things were important enough to bring up in the first place?

But other than that, the story was sweet. For those who need on page sex, there isn’t a single word nor hint of it here but the feelings between Ethan and Shawn were enough that you didn’t need to get them getting it on.




Audiobook Review: Snowblind by Eli Easton

Snow, steam, and secrets.

The latest snowstorm carries something unexpected to the doorstep of Hutch’s secluded Alaskan cabin: a stranger named Jude, the most beautiful man Hutch has ever seen. Jude says he’s in the area for a ski trip and that he fled a domineering lover, thinking he could make it into town. But Hutch is a suspicious SOB and treats his unwanted guest warily. The problem is Jude isn’t just gorgeous, he’s funny and smart and flirtatious.

Two gay men snowed in for three days—things happen. Really good things. By the time the storm clears, Hutch finds himself a little too attached to Jude Devereaux, San Francisco-based male model. But is Jude what he claims to be? Or is he entangled in the secrets Hutch moved to Alaska to escape?

Listening Time: 5 hrs 39 min
Narrated by: John Solo





Sweet lord, I have missed the cracky fluff that is the Dreamspun series! I *may* have gorged a teeny lil bit on this one.


oops

I couldn't help myself, though, because this fluff was primo. We have the pretty boy model in Jude meeting the strong silent type in Hutch under some life threatening circumstances in the wilds of Alaska. Hutch is guarded and gruff. He trusts no one which is why he lives between the middle of nowhere and the end of the line, but the bubbly Jude is very appealing. I started dancing a little bit at this development. You know my feels on the grumps.



Once Jude defrosts it's clear he is Hutch's opposite and seemingly into Hutch. Trapped in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm things start to heat up with a quickness. 

Sexy cracky fluff?!?!?!!? YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



DSP has said this series isn't meant to be super sexy but I don't think Easton got that memo or if she did she knew just where to stick it. Because between the flirting, the strip poker, the kitchen pounding... KITCHEN POUNDING WITH A POWER BOTTOM, PEOPLE!!!!!!!! I seriously considered licking my phone while listening to this. I refrained but it was a near thing.



Alright... I *may* have fondled it a little. We're still on speaking terms so alls well that ends well.
I had my pink heart shaped goggles going and was settling in to Cheech & Chong the fuck out of the Jutch fluff when the secret past plot twist came along and took this thing next level! 



I love suspense and action and this had both, though I don't think they overwhelm the romance. Easton did a fantastic job of showing their connection and how gaga they are about each other with the dual POVs throughout the story while keeping the plot moving forward with the action. And when the thing happened in the basement when Jude thought Hutch was a mirage...


SQUEEEEEEEPLOSIONS! SQUEEEEEEEEPLOSIONS ERRRRYYYWHERE!!!!
More often than not I had a goofy smile on my face and even a few times fist pumped the air. Because I am a dork. Their exponential levels of cuteness are my only defense. Tis true I OD'd on the Jutch fluff throughout but the ending very nearly killed me to death.  

What made this even greater was Solo's narration. He did distinct voices for all the characters with a spot on Hutch. Gawd, his Hutch was awesome-deep and rumbly. Mmmmphf. It makes for an all encompassing entertainment experience when the narrator has fun with the story and really brings it. Solo brought it and in so doing brought life to the Jutch fluff.

I do sincerely hope Easton writes another cracky fluff and if it involves Randy... *meaningful nodding* I will be a happy reader/listener if she does. Snowblind has climbed to the top of my cracky fluff faves list and I would recommend it to romance and audiobook fans. 







A review copy was provided.







See our ebook review HERE

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Sex in C Major by Matthew J. Metzger


Welcome Matthew Metzger! He's here today talking asexuality and sex to promote his new erotic novel, Sex in C Major.

Be sure to enter to win ebooks below. Good luck!




Title: Sex in C Major
Author: Matthew J. Metzger
Release Date: May 27th 2017
Genre: GLBT, BDSM, Interracial Romance

The Sexy Asexual

My latest novel, Sex in C Major, features an exploration of asexuality—the lack of sexual attraction—and aromanticism, the lack of romantic attraction. I am aromantic and asexual. This means, essentially, that I don't experience that pull towards another human being, either of wanting to date them and be with them, or of wanting to take off all their clothes and hear what they sound like when they come. In Sex in C Major, one of the triad, Yannis, identifies as both. He isn't into sex, and he isn't into dating, and could the sex noises please be kept to a dull roar so he can concentrate on his compositions, please?

Sex in C Major is also erotica.

BDSM. Public sex. Threesomes. Chastity belts. Orgasm denial. Plugging. A D/s lifestyle. Corporal punishment. Chains. Enforced nudity. Sensory deprivation. It is about sex, from start to finish. So how the hell does that work?

Because—now concentrate—asexuality is nothing to do with sex.

No, really.

Asexuality is a sexual orientation. And sexual orientations are not reflective of sexual activity.

You can be a virgin your whole life long, and be one hundred percent bisexual. You can be a man who has slept with every woman between London and Ljubljana, and be gay as a flower basket. You can be a woman who married the first boy she ever kissed and has never slept with anyone but him, and be a dyed-in-the-wool lesbian.

Because what you're attracted to, and what you do, are different things.

You might be a virgin because you find men and women both super sexy, but you're saving yourself for marriage and you never found someone you loved enough to marry. Still bisexual. You could be a man in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death, so you'll close your eyes and pretend the girls who want you are men instead, and hide under the guise of being a red-blooded, skirt-chasing male. Still gay. You could be a woman in a world where you marry the man your father picks out for you, and the best you could hope for is a man who doesn't mistreat you. Still lesbian.

Your desires are one thing. Your actions are another.

People seem to be able to grasp this about other sexual orientations, but asexuality suddenly becomes all about sex, and it's bullcrap.

So what was that line?

Asexuality is nothing to do with sex.

You can be a virgin your whole life long, and be one hundred percent asexual. Why would you want to have sex anyway? Ew. You can be a man who has slept with every woman between London and Ljubljana, and be asexual as a flower basket, because you like the act of having sex but you don't give a damn who you have it with and have never been attracted to those people. You can be a woman who married the first boy she ever kissed and has never slept with anyone but him, and be a dyed-in-the-wool asexual, because you're madly in love with him, you're just not interested in ripping all your clothes off and getting anything in your vagina.

You know the line by now, right?

Asexuality is nothing to do with sex.

So Sex in C Major is an erotic novel. And it stars asexual and aromantic characters.

Because some aromantic folks, and some asexual folks, and some folks who are both—like me—are still sexy, kinky, and up to sexy, kinky things.

Being asexual has nothing do with it.

****

Sex_in_C_Major_400[982]

BLURB

Stefan has ... fantasies.

He knows chasing those fantasies is only going to end in disaster, but he can't seem to stop his self-destructive spiral. He’s a transgender man struggling to come to terms with the intersection of his identity and his sexual fantasies as a submissive. He needs someone to take control before he loses it completely.

Daz can take control. He can teach Stefan everything there is to know about sex and submission, but for some reason, he can't get inside Stefan's head. Daz can stop Stefan’s self-destruction but not the fear that fuels it.

Stefan needs to know who he is before he can accept what he is. And it's Yannis -- Daz's aromantic, asexual, stern, and sarcastic partner -- who has the answer.

Purchase: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books | iBooks

Find Sex in C Major on Goodreads

EXCERPT

Other people wanted vanilla sex and dating out of a hookup in a gay bar. But Stefan wanted— this. He wanted to jump from nothing to Daz bending him over the end of the bed and fucking him like he was nothing but a sex doll.

What was he doing?

And yet he kept walking, step by step by step towards the house. A jogger had to go around him; a car hooted angrily as he walked out in front of it. He didn’t care. The house was calling. The man inside was calling. The promise of his fantasies becoming real was calling.

And it was terrifying and stupid and utterly crazy… but Stefan just couldn’t say no.

At exactly eight fifteen, the terror enough to make him throw up and the arousal so intense he could barely walk, Stefan knocked on the door.

Footsteps.

A key in a lock.

Then the door was jerked open, and a hand fisted in Stefan’s coat and hauled him inside.

“Upstairs,” Daz said, slamming the door. “Now. Nobody sees you.”

Stefan scrambled to obey, almost running up the stairs, still in his coat and shoes. He was shoved back into the small bedroom from the night before, and the door slammed behind them.

“Strip,” Daz said.



GIVEAWAY: Win ebook copies of Sex in C Major and What It Looks Like

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About the Author

Matthew

Matthew J. Metzger is a twenty-something British author of queer novels, primarily focusing on relationships, be they familial, platonic, sexual or romantic. He was dragged up in London, but currently lives in West Yorkshire, where he carves out a living in an office crunching numbers before going home to write books at night. Matthew particularly writes working-class queer life, and queer people who exist outside of the standard M/M romance fare written by and for well-educated, middle-class sensibilities. There be nasty words ahead, children. Better buckle up.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Patreon

BLOG SCHEDULE:

May 27th: Alpha Book Club | My Fiction Nook | Hearts on Fire Reviews

May 28th: Nerd Girl Official | Boy Meets Boy Reviews

May 29th: The Novel Approach | A L Boyd

May 3oth: A M Leibowitz

May 31st: Happily Ever Chapter

June 1st: MJs Book Blog and Reviews

June 2nd: Bonkers about Books | Joyfully Jay

June 5th: Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter

June 6th: Making It Happen | Outrageous Heroes

June 7th: BFD Book Blog

June 8th: Triple A

June 9th: Love Bytes Reviews

June 12th: Stories That Make You Smile | Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

June 13th: Loving Without Limits | L M Brown

June 14th: All in One Place | Dawn's Reading Nook

June 15th: Bayou Book Junkie

June 16th: Drops of Ink | Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!



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Review: Well-Tailored by Silvia Violet

Marc longs for a grand romance, but he doubts he’ll ever be that lucky. Then he meets Darius, an arrogant tailor who pushes all his buttons. When Darius offers him a job, Marc hesitates—he needs a direction for the future, not another man who doesn’t believe in relationships.

Darius lives by a few unbreakable rules: never sleep with employees, fashion should be simple, and romance is for fools. Marc, with his shimmer sweater collection, makes him want to break every single one.

They quickly give in to desire, but Darius wants to protect himself and Marc refuses to repeat past mistakes. It’s only when they let go of assumptions, that love has a chance to take hold.





This one actually started pretty poorly for me and I was considering not finishing the story. I’m glad I continued on because Darius and Marc definitely grew on me.

Darius is tailor-extraordinaire and is also the boss from hell, he runs his own business but can’t seem to keep an assistant for more than a month. Marc works for an escort service and loves his job but, he needs to find a job that can turn into a career, so he applies for Darius’ assistant position. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Darius is hot as fuck and brings out a submissive side in Marc that he wouldn’t mind entertaining for a while.

The whole meeting and instant attraction of these two did not work for me at all! The attraction felt sudden but slow at the same time, I was pretty bored for the first 30%. It was a constant, ‘should they shouldn’t they’ dance, but not a good one. However it got much better when they decided to become fuck buddies and I liked how their relationship progressed after that.

Darius was pretty awesome, such a grumpy bum hating on the world, I love that! And Darius sure did have an interesting vocabulary, it was hilarious!


“Motherfucking shitballs.”
“Goddamned cock robin bullshit.”
“Shut up, you fucking knobgoblin.”
“Harder, you shit-faced fuck muppet.”

Marc was a great mix of strong willed and submissive. Submissive isn't the right word... he just likes to be thrown around by Darius. But he can tell Darius when he’s being a dick, which is exactly what Darius needs.

This sex was hot! it was raw and passionate, rough and angry, which pretty much sums up this relationship. It took a long time for these two to get into the lovey dovey mode and it was rather nice when they got there. It was almost ruined by an argument at the end of the story which was just to make some drama and was totally unnecessary, but they moved on from that quickly.

This ended up being a pretty entertaining story and I recommend it for anyone who likes dominant, grumpy characters who need someone who isn't their doormat to fall in love with.


Blog Tour + Giveaway: The Lure of Port Stephen by Sydney Blackburn


Sydney Blackburn, along with IndiGo Marketing, hosts The Lure of Port Stephen blog tour! Drop in for a quickie (interview), book info and a giveaway--win any NineStar Press eBook!




Title:  The Lure of Port Stephen
Author: Sydney Blackburn
Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: May 22, 2017
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 29900
Genre: Contemporary, sweet, blue collar, class difference, interracial, camping, fishing, coming out, Lake Erie, Canada

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Robbie Wales is young and starting a new job in a new town, on his own. Coming from a split family, he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents and came out as a teen without a lot of fuss, but his father, whom he only saw infrequently, has never known. As an adult, he's found he's got a lot in common with his father, and they're finally getting to know each other. He fears coming out to his father may jeopardize that.

Then he meets Raj Williams, the attractive man in the trailer next to his father's in a seasonal RV park. Raj is handsome, sophisticated, yet loves to fish and watch silly Disney movies.

Raj finds Robbie equally interesting. But Robbie's still in the closet, at least in Port Stephen, and Raj's ex used that as an excuse to treat him as nothing more than a friend with benefits. He's not interested in a repeat experience.

Robbie finally finds the courage to come out to his father, but was it all just for a summer fling?

Excerpt

The Lure of Port Stephen
Sydney Blackburn © 2017
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

Robbie Wales rented a car Saturday morning to go down to his father’s trailer in Port Stephen. Alone—because he’d just moved to St. Albans and hadn’t had the opportunity to meet someone. Like Dad and Wanda had been nagging him about.

It would help if he could actually tell them the someone he hoped to meet was a guy. His mother knew, of course. But his parents had split when he was a baby, and he hadn’t spent more than a couple weeks a year with his father until he’d moved to Woodstock for his apprenticeship training. He’d never had a boyfriend serious enough to mention. Coming out seemed too important not to do in person, but the right time never seemed to come up.

He had to come out to them soon—he was twenty-two, and the more time he spent with them, the more obvious it would be—but he was worried. What if his father rejected him just when they were finally having a real relationship? But—new job, new apartment, new city—it was time.

St. Albans was only a twenty-minute drive away from the port. He could, in theory, hang out and fish during the day and go back to town at night. It wasn’t that he didn’t like sitting around their firepit, but listening to a bunch of people his parents’ age or older wasn’t his idea of a fun time. They wouldn’t miss him.

He pulled in beside the end of his parents’ trailer, leaving room for other vehicles in case the people in the small Prowler next door had friends coming up for the weekend too. Robbie grabbed his duffel and used the keys his father had given him last year to let himself in. The water and electric were already on, and the fridge was humming softly.

He dropped the duffel and went out to retrieve the case of beer he’d brought. Hard liquor would take up less fridge space, he mused. Too bad it made him stupid. He gave the neighbouring trailer a sidelong glance. Small propane grill, decorative urns spilling jewel-tone flowers, sun shelter, and a couple of fishing rods. Retired couple, he decided. Flowers had to be a woman’s touch.

Movement on one of the boats caught his eye, and he turned just in time to see a man—literally tall, dark, and handsome—strip his T-shirt off. There was nothing erotic in the motion—guy probably didn’t even know he was being watched—but Robbie’s mouth watered all the same at the unexpected vision.

He was lean, deeply tanned, and wearing shorts that were short enough to make Robbie wish they were even shorter. Nice legs. Nice everything.

As if sensing Robbie’s stare, the guy turned his head. Robbie blushed, glad he was too far away for it to be seen, and hurried to bring in the beer. That was a sight he’d never seen here before. Was he the son of the couple in the trailer?

One way to find out. Randomly chatting to strangers was a thing here, giving Robbie an excuse. He stuck six beers in the fridge and took two of his father’s, already cold, and hastily checked his look in the mirror. His sandy-brown hair was tousled from the drive, but there were no stains on his tank or rainbow-coloured board shorts. Good. Normal. He pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes and almost forgot the beer on his way out the door.

Walking along the waterfront, he tried to appear nonchalant, though he’d never been 100 percent certain of what that meant. As he strode out onto the dock, the guy raised his head. He looked even better up close. His hair was thick, dark, begging to be ruffled… Try not to drool, Rob. He didn’t have the words to describe the guy’s mouth—full lips he’d love to kiss, a pinkish-brown colour a little lighter than his nipples. Dark hair scattered across a gorgeous dark tan. Robbie licked his lips before he realized what he was doing.

Then Tall, Dark, and Handsome’s kissable lips pulled up into a smile, and long fingers with very pale fingernails shoved the sunglasses up over his hair. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Robbie handed him a beer. “You looked thirsty. Boat trouble?” he added quickly, squatting down to eye level. Tall, Dark, and Handsome had eyelashes like a woman’s—long, feathery, soft. And his eyes were amber, a little darker than the beer he’d accepted from Robbie.

“Thanks.” He pushed a hand behind his ear, and Robbie’s tongue slipped out to swipe his lower lip again.

The handsome stranger twisted the cap off the beer and tipped the bottle to his mouth, his long throat working as he swallowed once, twice.

Robbie let his gaze slide down the deeply tanned bare chest in front of him. Gay men, in his admittedly limited experience, tended to wax their chests. Trying to match the guys on billboards and magazines, he supposed. Handsome here had a sparse triangle of dark hair from below his collarbone across pecs with more definition than he’d initially thought. Gravity pulled a trickle of sweat down the narrow bit of hair in the center of his torso, one that disappeared… Robbie forced himself to not stare as if the guy was the first steak dinner he’d seen after months of bread and water.

Tall, Dark, and Handsome was glaring at the cables he’d uncovered that led to his motor. “It pulls to the left.”

pulled his shades down, hiding his eyes. “You know much about boats? You’d think I’d learn, owning one, but goddammit, I had it in for a thorough check in St. Albans before I put it in the water.”

“I know a little more about outboards than inboards,” Robbie said truthfully, “but I’d be happy to take a look.”

TDH waved vaguely toward the open panel. “Sure. Please.”

Robbie’s heart tripped a little at getting so close to his new fantasy man, and he nearly lost his balance getting into the boat—to his embarrassment. TDH’s steadying hand was hot and dry, and Robbie nearly jumped as his cock twitched.

“Fuck,” he said, before he could stop himself. His voice was hoarse, but he hoped TDH would think he was cursing his clumsiness and not his riotous imagination.

The smile on his face seemed sly and suggestive to Robbie, but he figured that was wishful thinking on his part. He smiled back and took a swig of his beer. Down, boy, he told his overeager cock. He set his bottle in a holder and turned around, kneeling to examine the innards exposed.

“Huh. Interesting,” he said, having no idea what he was looking for.

“Isn’t it, though.”

His voice was like a caress. You’re imagining things, Robert Eliot Wales. He leaned back to sit on his ass and reached up for his beer. He froze momentarily as TDH sat on one of the pedestal seats. He could almost—but not quite—see up the leg of his shorts. Stop looking.

He forced himself to raise his gaze all the way to the other man’s face. “Tell me exactly what it’s doing?”

“When I put it under full throttle, it pulls to the left. I don’t notice it on the creek, but out on the lake this morning, it pulled so hard it almost yanked the wheel out of my hands.” He ran a hand through his hair again.

Robbie knew he was staring, but he hoped it wasn’t too obvious behind his shades.

“First time I’ve been scared on the water.”

“Sounds like your trim is out of whack. Maybe you bumped something in the creek?”

“Maybe,” he said. “It seems rather shallow this year. So I have to take it out of the water?”

“Yeah, I think so. When my dad gets here, he’ll take a look. He knows a lot more…” Geez, he sounded like a teenager. “Robbie Wales,” he said, thrusting out a hand, more dirty now than it had been twenty minutes ago.

“Raj Williams,” he said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

Raj. That explained the great tan. Even if he still had tan lines, his bare ass was probably a gorgeous honey gold…. He shook his head. “That’s my dad’s trailer.” Robbie jerked his head. “The Golden Falcon there.”

TDH—Raj—laughed. “Tell me that’s not your dad’s name.”

“What?”

“Wayne and Wanda Wales of Woodstock.” He snickered. “Say it ain’t so.”

Robbie chuckled at the awful alliteration. “It ain’t so,” he reassured him. “Wales is my mother’s name. Dad’s is Richardson. And Wanda kept her own name, Nichols. I take it you’ve met.”

“Neighbours. Your dad is very…sociable.”

“They say in Woodstock, if you don’t know Wayne Richardson, it’s not Wayne Richardson’s fault.”

“I can believe that.”

Neighbours. So… “Which trailer’s yours?”

“This one,” he said with a pleased nod toward the Prowler. “My company started a work-from-home initiative, and I talked them into paying for my Internet to work from here, instead.”

Ah. Straight and married then. Robbie nodded, trying not to show his disappointment. “Where is home when it’s not Port Stephen?”

“Toronto.”

Robbie felt his eyes widen. “My god, you must feel like you’re in redneck country.”

Raj laughed again, a warm, rich sound that Robbie liked very much. “Kind of,” he said. “Let’s go sit in the shade. My deck’s a little iffy; carpentry isn’t my forte. Along with boat mechanics,” he added ruefully. “I can refresh your beer.”

Eh, he could still fantasize, as long as he didn’t have to watch TDH kissing his no-doubt-pretty wife. “Sure. Thanks.”

The deck, which looked like freight pallets bound together, had an outdoor rug on it and two director-style chairs. Solar LED lights were strung across the canopy. The flowers in each corner were bright primary colours, so intense they almost seemed fake. Nestled against the trailer was an electric cooler. Robbie watched those shorts get a little shorter and tighter as Raj leaned over to grab two cold bottles. To his horror, a whimper came out of his throat before he could stop it.

He cleared his throat and spun to examine one of the flowerpots. “Nice flowers.”

“Thanks. My apartment is tiny without much in the way of a balcony. But I’ve always admired those perfectly landscaped little houses on the magazine covers. Clearly, I’m not a landscaper or a designer either, but it makes me happy—those ridiculously bright flowers.”

“Oh. So you’re not married?”

Raj smiled at him, an expression that seemed full of hidden meaning. “Haven’t met the right person yet. And you? Will you be bringing someone special down to share romantic evenings on the beach?”

Robbie blushed. “No.” He’d never put Port Stephen and romantic together in his head. “So, why here?”

“The fishing. And I can have this place for five months for the same price a month’s rent would cost me in Toronto.”

Robbie opened his mouth to ask another question but frowned. “You’re not paying rent in Toronto? Are you moving here, like, permanently?”

“Hell, no. Can you imagine going all the way to Bayham just for groceries every week in the winter? Do they even have a bar that doesn’t serve a Sunday brunch?” Raj laughed.

Robbie hadn’t realized before now sound could be a thing one wanted to roll in—or lick up.

“Don’t think so,” he managed to say.

“I sublet my apartment for the season, so until October first, it’s not actually mine. I still have a place to live at the end of the season but don’t have to pay the rent. I love it here”—he gestured toward his boat, or perhaps just the water in general—“but it would be nice to meet some people under forty and over twenty.”

Robbie opened his mouth to invite Raj along with him to St. Albans some night. “You met me.” He hadn’t meant to say that, but for some reason the idea of Raj meeting someone other than him made his stomach twist.

Raj smiled. “True…”

Purchase

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Interview Quickie with Sydney Blackburn, author of The Lure of Port Stephen


What’s harder, naming your characters, creating the title for your book or the cover design process?

Again, for me, this depends on the work. I think it's kind of silly to pick a Portentous Name for a character unless there's a major plot reason for it, so names come pretty easily. Characters often just tell me, which simplifies it a lot. Titles either come like that ::snaps fingers:: or I agonize over them. No inbetween!  And covers... well. I'm a designer myself, so I can be picky.

How do you answer the question “Oh, you're an author...what do you write?"

I smile and say, "Mostly gay romance."

What does your family think of your writing?

My spouse is supportive in hopes of me becoming a rich, best-selling author. My sister cheers me on, but I don't think anyone has actually read any of it.

Tell us about your current work in process and what you’ve got planned for the future.

I have several current works in progress, including a first draft of a contemporary  bi/ace-demi romance, a sci-fi romance set in my non-romantic Quicksilver universe, and a contemporary m/m with a winery owner and a biker. I still hope to have a holiday story for December, but we'll see. Also, I've co-authored a superhero story and if we sell it, and it does well, there's three more books planned.

Do you have any advice for all the aspiring writers out there?

LEARN YOUR CRAFT. Words are a writer's tools; if you don't know the difference between a vendetta and a bandana... Oh, and, keep writing, that sort of thing.

Meet the Author

Sydney Blackburn is a binary star system. Always a voracious reader, she began to write when she couldn’t find the stories she wanted to read. She likes candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach… Oh wait, wrong profile. She’s a snarky introvert and admits to having a past full of casual sex and dubious hookups, which she uses for her stories.

She likes word play and puns and science-y things. And green curry.

Her dislikes include talking on the phone, people trying to talk to her before she’s had coffee, and filling out the “about me” fields in social media.

Besides writing, she also designs book covers for poor people.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Guest Review: Before You Break (Secrets #1) by K.C. Wells & Parker Williams

Six years ago Ellis walked into his first briefing as the newest member of London’s Specialist Firearms unit. He was partnered with Wayne and they became fast friends. When Wayne begins to notice changes—Ellis’s erratic temper, the effects of sleep deprivation—he knows he has to act before Ellis reaches his breaking point. He invites Ellis to the opening of the new BDSM club, Secrets, where Wayne has a membership. His purpose? He wants Ellis to glimpse the lifestyle before Wayne approaches him with a proposition. He wants to take Ellis in hand, to control his life because he wants his friend back, and he figures this is the only way to do it.

There are a few issues, however. Ellis is straight. Stubborn. And sexy. Wayne knows he has to put his own feelings aside to be what Ellis needs. What surprises the hell out of him is finding out what Ellis actually requires.



Reviewer: Shee Reader

Oh my gosh, where do I start with this book?

It was so wonderful to revisit Eli and Jarod from the Collars and Cuffs series with their new life in London, starting with their BDSM club, Secrets. I loved reading about all their friends coming for the grand re-opening. Super fun.

Now this story: Wayne and Ellis are specialist armed police officers. They work in a tight-knit team and have been best friends for over six years. In all that time, Wayne has never seen Ellis how he has been in the last few months. Exhausted, strung out, emotional and prone to flares of rage. Ellis is near breaking point. In all their years of friendship, Wayne has never made any move towards his straight best friend. He has never revealed aspects of his personal life. Never admitted that he is in love with his best friend. As Ellis gets closer and closer to a full break down, Wayne knows he must do something. Will Ellis accept his best friend as a Dom? Will Ellis let Wayne take control of his life and help him find peace and balance?

This is such a great set-up for a story that is told with mastery. The characters are realistic and likeable from the outset. Ellis’ family problems that lead to his breaking down are dreadful and tangible. I adored the relationship between these two guys and the development of each of them and them as a couple. It was enthralling and absorbing from the outset. I rooted for them from page 1 and the ending was just right. I loved the genuineness of their communications, the problems they encountered were gripping and the knowledge that the HEA was there in the end kept me going.

This is a beautifully written, engaging story of self awareness and new beginnings. Highly recommended!

I was gifted an ARC in exchange for an honest review.





Don't miss the Before You Break giveaway HERE!

Series Review: Immortal Dragons 1 & 2 by Ophelia Bell

Even immortal dragons can have crazy exes.

Three thousand years ago, immortal blue dragon Belah and her old lover took their kinks just a step too far, and she's been trying to get over it ever since. The problem is that her ex is still out there wreaking havoc on her world, while Belah spent the last three millennia in hiding.

With her race's world changing, it's time for Belah to show her face again. Finding a new mate should be easy for a dragon as powerful as her, but "baggage" is an understatement when your ex is your race's mortal enemy, and he's just let you know he wants you back.

Determined to move on, Belah finds Lukas and Iszak North--not one, but two gorgeous, musically talented, and especially kinky brothers from one of the dragons' sister races. The pair are perfect for Belah. Their race of falcon shifters mate for life--one look at Belah, and both North brothers know she's their One. The problem is, they have baggage of their own, and Belah's old lover is at the center of it. The brothers can't help but love her in spite of her past, and when Belah answers their mating call and gives herself to them completely, they would do anything to keep her, even forgive her connection to their enemy.

When Belah's old lover calls in a promise, she and her new mates learn there is more at stake than love, and it might take more than fancy knots and an adeptly wielded whip to find true happiness.


average for series

2 Hearts 

When I picked up Dragon Blues I believed it to be MMF. It is not and apparently wasn't tagged as such either so I can't really knock it for not being something it never claimed to be. I can say I was a wee bit disappointed, though. There is one FF scene that is over in a blink and I believe Lucas could claim heteroflexiblity, but in a nutshell this book isn't really appropriate for this blog. However the stories interconnect and come as a package, so let's keep this short, shall we?

Belah is an immortal dragon shifter who's been around since forever. She's got a crazy ex-boyfriend and is missing a couple "babies" (actually adults) that she'll do just about anything to find but is also longing for a mate. As lucky would have it, she finds two (Lucas and Iszak) who are falcon shifters and brothers which, I suspect, is why they don't cross the streams. They fall in instalove which works considerably better for me in shifter stories, but I still find it jarring when there's minimal supporting evidence of said love. Not only was there no relationship development or showing their connection but they're almost immediately spouting off about impregnating her!  



Erm... Not a fan of this sort of thing in my reads, particularly not my kinky/porny reads, though this was less porny than I envisioned (hoped).

There are a few meager attempts at worldbuilding that are pedestrian and a whole gaggle of borderline bizarre plot twists that I hope to all that's holy are going somewhere. And not somewhere hokey either. The character voices were my biggest stumbling block, especially Belah's. For someone who's ancient she's not very wise or mature, though none of them are well developed nor are they eloquent which I found odd.

The kink is good, though. I particularly liked the suspension bondage scene. That merits a star on its own.


A woman born on the wind... 

A Turul princess, Evie North has waited long enough for her “one true love” — a man she’s stopped believing truly exists. She throws caution—literally—to the wind and decides to take matters into her own hands. She chooses a handsome stranger from a crowd and falls into bed with him, hoping love might find her in his arms. 

A human man drawn to powers beyond his comprehension... 

The only thing Marcus Calais knows is that he’s likely to die in a pointless war but also honor-bound to run into battle. At least until he meets an angel named Evie in Central Park who incites stronger desires than he’s ever had and whose songs drive him to levels of passion he never imagined. After just one night with the lovely, waifish beauty, he discovers he has so much more to live for. Will he sacrifice his principles to stay alive for her? 

The immortal dragon who owns both their souls... 

“Ked” is what his five siblings call him, but others simply refer to the huge black dragon as The Void. He is darkness personified, but nothing is darker than the enemy he is up against. It will take true darkness to fight the evil permeating his world, and to save the female Fate intended for him. But Fate has a funny way of switching things up when he least expects. What will he find when he ventures forth into the enemy’s lair in search of love? 

What other surprises does Fate have in store? 

Publisher's Note: Dragon Void is a full-length novel with a complete resolution between the characters involved. They get their Happily Ever After, but sometimes Fate doesn't make it easy.



1 Heart

Two words: Hot Mess




The second in this series didn't work for me at all. On any level. It's not my place to tell anyone how to do anything, particularly an author but I can say (until the cows come home) that this story is not what I wanted to read.

I would ask that you to read the blurb. I'll wait.




Now, tell me doesn't that blurb read like a ménage romance of some sort? Show of hands? Me too! Do not be hoodwinked like I was because Dragon Void isn't a romance and, yeah, I'm kinda fussy about that.

The trouble is I'm not quite sure what it is or what it wants to be. The worldbuilding gets no better in this book. I let it slide in book 1 because it was more urban fantasy but this is rife with fantasy possibilities and I found the lack of worldbuilding hugely disappointing. There are several mentions of an organization called the Ultiori but no real explanation of what they do or why they're so dreaded. There's a dragon monastery in this one! A. Dragon. Monastery. that just sits there like a... well, like a... like a monastery, I guess. 

I would *think* a triad romance would primarily build the triad, show how they all contribute and bring something to the relationship, develop these characters and maybe delve into how they might work out the logistics of a potentially tricky endeavor. I would be wrong. 



It took them to almost the 40% mark just to get Evie and Marcus back to the Dragon Monastery! That's just travel time, folks. Most of which one or the other of them were passed out cold from their injuries, the rest of the time is spent rehashing recent events. We got up to well past the 60% mark with flashbacks of Evie and Marcus's history which is bursting with 1960s draft remembrances and a whole lotta Vietnam era sentiments which came across slightly didactic and largely pointless considering we already knew they had history as a couple.

I thought for sure once they reached the monastery they would start coming together as a triad. Nope. I mean, they take a few trips to the bone zone and the word "mate" is bandied about but sex doesn't equate to a long-lasting relationship nor does it make a romance. Instead time was spent head hopping between the three of them with more 60s flashbacks and we even head hopped to Nikhil (Belah's ex) who's on a mission to find whatever possessed him, complete with time jumps and some clunky, quasi-forced efforts to shoehorn him into Belah's triad.



Also, did I mention that Evie's knocked up BEFORE the 50% mark? Yeah, super happy about that plot development which actually morphed into the death knell for this book. 

So... SPOILERS!

Since Marcus was made immortal by Ked and his brother's blood and Marcus knocked up Evie, Evie's baby has special "needs". Namely the semen of all of them. 

I'll let that sink in for a minute.



In the hands of a different author this plot twist might've worked for me, but given the fact that the three of them hadn't even convinced me of their commitment to each other to then have the female lead hit the bone zone of her brand new mate's two brothers seemed like random squirrelly storytelling to me and not really that romantic either.

Last but not least, the sex wasn't that hot. The MM scenes were vaguely insulting. I'm not going to go into specifics but there were some poorly chosen words IMO, things that made me twitchy with regard to Marcus's deflowering and just generally the whole kit and kaboodle had the words 'get correct' rumbling through my head. To add insult to injury, no kink!

The narrative is too busy for me, much of it doesn't make sense and the writing is amateurish. I highly doubt I'll be reading anything else by this author in the future nor would I recommend this series to others.



Review copies were provided.



Release Blitz + Giveaway: Boys Don't Cry by J.K. Hogan


Celebrate the release of Boys Don't Cry with the author J.K. Hogan and IndiGo Marketing! Check out info about the romance that features a recluse and a down on his luck college grad! Don't miss the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!


Title:  Boys Don't Cry
Author: J.K. Hogan
Publisher:  J.K. Hogan
Release Date: May 25th 2017
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 70,000 words
Genre: Romance

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Synopsis

Mackenzie Pratt is having the worst luck of his life. His apartment building is being torn down, and since he’s jobless and just weeks away from graduating college, he can’t find anywhere else he can afford to live that isn’t a critter-infested dump. As he’s lamenting the very real possibility of job hunting while couch-surfing, he gets an offer from the coworker of his best friend.
An in-demand mobile app developer and heir to his parents’ fortune, Laurent Beaudry is literally an eccentric billionaire. Even though Mackenzie realizes he’s basically living the plot of a cheesy romance novel, he takes the proffered room in Laurent’s Baltimore mansion. He finds his new housemate to be grumpy, brooding, and, at times, incredibly kind and endearing.
Raised by his brother after their father’s death, Mackenzie spent his formative years plowing headlong through school, focusing on little else beyond earning his teaching certification. He’s never taken the time to explore love and relationships, much less sexuality, so when he finds himself being courted by another man, he has no idea what to do. And when he realizes he might actually return those feelings, his life takes a whole new direction.

Excerpt

The house was dark so I couldn’t see much, but what I could see was immaculate, contrary to what Taylor had said. The hardwood floors gleamed in the moonlight, the furniture looked expensive and perfect, and there wasn’t a dirty dish or dust bunny in sight. “I thought you said it was a sty,” I whispered.

“Oh, this? Not this. He only uses a fraction of the house, the suite with his bedroom, living room, library, and office. All of this is just for show,” he said with a sweeping gesture toward the big empty parlor we were facing. “And why are you whispering? He knows I’m coming.”

“I don’t know. It seems so quiet and…undisturbed.”

Taylor’s chuckle had an evil ring to it. “You want disturbed? Follow me.” He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. “Mr. Beaudry! It’s me, Taylor. Morrison. From Mindstream. The place you work.”

He made his way down a dark corridor with me dogging his heels. “He doesn’t remember who you are? Where he works?”

“Oh, he knows. But when he’s been staring at code for hours on end and not sleeping, sometimes basic stuff slips his mind. Details like that can be hard for geniuses like him.”

Genius? I didn’t think I’d ever heard that term used to sincerely describe someone. “What does he do again?”

“He’s a mobile app developer. Highly sought after, but right now he works exclusively for us. That was a huge coup for the company.” He stopped in front of a heavy, ornately carved door made of some kind of dark hardwood. He rapped his knuckles on it three times before barging on in, while I hovered in the doorway.

So this was the suite. Taylor had been right. What a mess. We stood in what I assumed was the living room, but it was hard to tell because every available surface was covered in wrinkled clothing, pizza boxes, and empty dishes. A huge fireplace was installed in the far wall, surrounded by shelves and shelves of books. More books than I’d ever seen in one place outside a library. The fire blazed in the hearth, and I was honestly surprised there wasn’t any garbage close enough to it to catch fire. As beautiful as the house was, the mess made my skin crawl. I usually lived in shitty apartments, so I was a bit of a neat freak to balance the universe.

“Beaudry? You in here?” Taylor called. There was no answer. “He must be in the bedroom suite.” He headed to a door on the left, like it was no big deal.

Wait! You’re just going to barge into the guy’s bedroom?”

Pausing in his tracks, Taylor looked over his shoulder. “This is no ordinary bedroom. Just because there’s a bed in the corner doesn’t mean it’s some intimate setting. It’s just a giant workspace.” With that parting shot, he burst through the door, once again calling the man’s name.

Trembling from too much alcohol and not enough nerve, I stepped inside the room. I was stunned speechless by the scene before me. Taylor had one thing right—it was no ordinary bedroom. It was the size of three average rooms lined up in a row and probably had double the square footage of the apartment I was getting booted out of. There was indeed a bed, a California king canopy bed off in one corner of the room. A fire was blazing in this suite as well, only I realized that it was the same fire in the same fireplace, which apparently connected the two rooms.

Taylor stood next to what had to be the man’s workspace. There was a giant U-shaped desk adorned with four widescreen computer monitors and various other gadgets typical of an office. However, on one leg of the U, there was a collection of what looked to be every tablet, PDA, smartphone, and any other mobile device known to man. I supposed he had to test his software on each gizmo that was likely to employ it.

Behind the office area was a ginormous TV screen—at least seventy inches—that looked like it would be more at home in a movie theater. Several fluffy couches were set up in a semicircle facing it. It would be amazing to have a movie marathon in this place. And of course, there was every gaming console imaginable to go along with the screen yardage. But…despite all the cool stuff, there was some very weird stuff about the place as well. Besides the office setup and the movie area, all the furniture in the suite looked like it had been bought from a garage sale at Versailles. It was expensive-looking, obviously, but very gilded and frilly. There were also several racks flanking the giant TV that displayed the man’s sword collection.

And then, the murals. The murals were creepy. On at least a couple of the walls above the wainscoting, there were huge, garish wall paintings of nudes in various scenes. Men and women, sometimes in sexual situations, sometimes just hanging out or whatever. But they weren’t like Renaissance or fine art nudes or anything; they seemed to be done by just some random modern artist. I had no idea how the guy could manage to look at them all day every day. Though if it weren’t for those, I’d never leave a place like this either. Speaking of the guy, though, there was no sign of him.

“Where is he?” I was whispering again. It just seemed like the thing to do when you snuck into someone’s bedroom at night. Not that we were really sneaking, but still.

As if in answer to my question, we heard a toilet flush, and a door to my right that I hadn’t even noticed swung open, startling me. The person who came through was pretty much just as unbelievable as the house he lived in. He was tall—very tall—and lanky, but with wide shoulders and well-defined musculature. His hair was just a little too long, like maybe he’d forgotten his last couple of haircuts, and very dark, shot through with a tiny bit of gray. It had to be premature because I doubted he was much more than ten years older than me. His facial features—though thrown in deep shadow because of the low light in the room—were chiseled and angular, too handsome to be fair to the rest of the world. Wire-rimmed glasses perched on the tip of his straight nose, slightly askew. Despite the handsomeness, he had dark circles under his eyes and frown lines around his mouth, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. And he was wearing Angry Birds pajamas.

When he saw me, his deep-set blue eyes widened and he flinched like I’d snuck up on him. “Who the hell are you?”

I let out a squeaky gasp and backed away toward Taylor because the guy looked fucking scary when he turned on the full force of that scowl.

“Jesus Christ, Beaudry, relax,” Taylor said. He picked up his briefcase and pulled out a legal-size envelope. “This is my friend Mackenzie. I was driving him home, and I just popped in to drop off these contracts from Harrelson.”

Beaudry grunted and crossed the room to sit at his desk. He waved a hand in the vague direction of a stack of shelves. “Just put them in the inbox. I’ll deal with them later.”

“If you look them over now, I can take back any questions or return them…”

He glared at Taylor over his shoulder, and Taylor wisely shut his mouth. Then the man’s gaze settled on me. It wasn’t the scowl he’d given me earlier, but it wasn’t exactly a…nice expression either. It was more of an assessing glare than anything. “Welcome to Chatham House, Mackenzie. What do you think?” he asked.

I had no idea what he meant. What did I think of the house? The room? Him? “It’s…impressive. The artwork is…unusual.”

He let out a belting laugh that I hadn’t been expecting, so I jumped, but then the rich baritone of it made my toes curl. It was an odd reaction, as I wasn’t usually affected by such things.

“Unusual is a kind way of putting it. The artwork came with the house, along with much of the furniture. I just haven’t gotten around to redecorating.”

“Oh, that’s…” . “How long have you lived here, then?”

Beaudry turned back to his computer and began typing furiously. “About five years,” he answered without turning back around.

I choked on air, and Taylor snorted. “I think by ‘haven’t gotten around to it,’ you mean ‘just don’t give a shit,’” he muttered.

“Touché, Mr. Morrison. Is there anything else you need?”

Taylor sighed, probably realizing that the man was not going to look at whatever was in the envelope while we were still there to relay any messages back to Mindstream. He clamped a hand around my wrist and started dragging me toward the door. “All right, we’re going. Remember, drinks at the King’s Shield next Friday.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be—”

Taylor spoke right over Beaudry’s muttering. “You already said you would. No backsies. I can pick you up.”

“I think I’d enjoy driving my shiny Lotus instead, but thank you very much for the offer,” Beaudry growled. “Nice meeting you, Mack,” I heard him call through the open door.

“Nickname basis already?” I laughed to Taylor.

“That has nothing to do with nicknames and everything to do with your name being too long for him to remember.”

“I heard that, Morrison!”

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J.K. Hogan | Amazon


Meet the Author


J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them. J.K. is hoping to one day have a little something for everyone, so she’s branched out from m/f paranormal romance and added m/m contemporary romance. Who knows what’s next?
J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and two sons, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit www.jkhogan.com.

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